


little lost things || queen of the broken

by madcapdragonshenanigans



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Canon compliant hopefully, F/F, Found Family, Lesbian Scorpia, Trans Female Character, Trans Perfuma (She-Ra), basically this is me fucking around and doing my best, don't want to flood the search engine, i ship scorpia x happiness, look i just want to write about scorpia, most of the cast will be mentioned or appear probably, perfuma and scorpia being the moms frosta deserves, scorpiacentric, she's good, slow burn scorfuma, so it's not tagged, the nettoss/spinneralla is background
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:54:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24888736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madcapdragonshenanigans/pseuds/madcapdragonshenanigans
Summary: “Oh, Scorpia.” Somehow, Micah’s voice startled her again. “I’ve been meaning to ask you about your own kingdom.”“My what now?” Scorpia popped back to standing.“You’re a princess, you have a kingdom. Kind of a, set thing.”“Oh,” Scorpia felt herself falter. “I um, don’t. Don’t have a kingdom, that is. I did, well my grandfather did, but it’s gone.”--In the wake of the defeat of Horde Prime, after the Best Friend Squad and Entrapta have left to bring magic to the stars, Scorpia must grapple with her past, her future, and what she wants from the world.OR: the Scorpia-centric fic no one asked for, but you're getting anyway. Yes there will be good gay shit in later chapters I promise.
Relationships: Frosta & Perfuma & Scorpia (She-Ra), Frosta & Scorpia (She-Ra), Perfuma & Scorpia (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra)
Comments: 35
Kudos: 139





	1. pruning || growth

**Author's Note:**

> i have no excuses, i just love scorpia and cry tears of joy when thinking about her. this pic is purely self indulgent character/relationship study with plot and romance and found family. i hope you like it!

Scorpia bolted up right, clutching the blanket she’d cocooned herself with up to her face. Her heart pounded, rattling around her ribs as she forced herself to breathe. Deep breaths. Her forehead was clammy, beads of sweat rolled down from her scalp to pool at the end of her nose, the corners of her jaw. Not a fun or pleasant state to wake up in.

Around her, Horde refugees and displaced citizens of Etheria slept on, snoring softly, breathing deeply. All the halls and guest rooms had been turned into a sort of boarding house for those who currently had nowhere else to go since the end of the war with Horde Prime. What had been her room until they had evacuated Bright Moon was now also home to most of the young Horde officers and Horde cadets, and a few parentless children who didn’t seem to mind rooming with ex Horde folks.

Peering out the window as she got up, Scorpia looked out the open window down into the garden Shadow Weaver had left behind. Moonlight and shadows painted the landscape, but the horizon was that dusty color that told you it was closer to morning than it wasn’t.

“Well sleep is not happening,” Scorpia muttered, starting to pick her way through the sleeping bodies curled up on mats throughout the room.

Scorpia herself had given up her bed to the children who shared the room with her, and the handful of them were all curled up on the poufy princess mattress, snoring happily. It wasn’t like Scorpia had ever gotten used to how soft it was anyway. The floor was flat, and hard, and more like what she was used to back at the Fright Zone. She’d thought that maybe sleeping on the floor, not even on a mat, would help with the nightmares.

“Wrong again, Scorpia,” she whispered, inching around Lonnie, Kyle, and Rogelio who were curled up together on two mats.

She made it to the door and left the room as stealthily as a gal with pincers could manage. As long as no one woke up, she was happy. It was still kind of weird to walk around Bright Moon without feeling like a criminal. Even back in the Fright Zone being out of your bunk during rest hours was, if not forbidden, frowned upon enough that you didn’t want to get caught. Here, she wasn’t a prisoner – anymore – and she could wander around whenever and wherever she wanted.

 _‘Where am I going?’_ Scorpia asked herself on her third aimless turn down the hall. After a moment of stillness, she began walking towards Shadow Weaver’s garden.

Stepping out onto the terrace, her heart dropped a little. It had looked beautiful from the window, but up close it had fallen into disarray. At first, Perfuma had tended it, but now that the princesses were all in their own kingdoms for the time being to aid in rebuilding and reestablishing trust… well… Scorpia sank to her knees near the closest shrub in need of tending and began pruning. Her pincers were useful for that.

It took a bit of trial and error to figure out what all needed to be done, but after that it was easy to fall into a meditative rhythm of pruning, watering, and weeding each section of the terrace garden. For the first time since waking up, she felt her heart beat slow and her breath settle naturally.

“Couldn’t sleep?”

 _Snip!_ Scorpia’s pincers narrowly missed a healthy flower bud, instead taking off a couple leaves.

“King Micah!” Scorpia blurted out, scrambling to her feet.

“Just Micah is fine,” he said, waving her off.

Micah looked about as tired as Scorpia felt, wrapped up in a worn robe and bare foot on the stone tiles. His gaze trailed past Scorpia and up to the stars above them. Gosh, Scorpia really couldn’t get used to the stars.

“What brings you out here?” Scorpia asked, brushing some dirt off of her knee plating.

Micah’s gaze remained fixed on the stars.

“Yeah I miss them too,” Scorpia said, her eyes following his.

“I just meet my daughter, properly meet her, and she leaves.”

“She wouldn’t have gone if she didn’t feel it was right. Those four kids are best friends, and Entrapta’s with them, and as her best friend I can tell you they couldn’t be in better hands.”

Micah chuckled. “I know, I know, it’s just hard.”

“Yeah, yeah it is.” Scorpia placed a pincer on Micah’s shoulder.

The king finally looked back at her.

“And you?”

Scorpia looked down at the flowers she’d been pruning. “Nightmares.”

“I get them too.”

“You do?” Scorpia felt a knot in her gut loosen a little.

“We had him inside our minds. You don’t just recover from that. That kind of thing sticks around, it’s like it hides in the cracks of your subconscious.” Micah’s hand found Scorpia’s shoulder and squeezed comfortingly. “One day they’ll fade. For now, we just have to persevere.”

“Thanks, Micah.”

“Anytime, Princess Scorpia.”

“You can just call me Scorpia.”

“Noted.” Micah smiled.

“Oh hey,” Scorpia said quickly, dropping her pincer and turning back to the king. “Did Casta mention when the whole teleportation-thingy-whatser was going to be finished?”

“That? Oh, I think in the next few days? Not entirely sure, but I’ll ask her in the morning.”

“Thank you, I really, I really appreciate that.”

“I can’t believe it took a war to get the kingdoms of Etheria to agree to permanent transportation circles in their castles.” Micah was suppressing a laugh poorly.

“Right? Gosh, it was so easy to see one another when Glimmer could just _poof_ , y’know? And now she’s, well, and the others are, y’know, and, yeah.” Scorpia finished awkwardly.

Micah nodded, silently, looking back at the sky.

Feeling the conversation finished, Scorpia knelt again to continuing her work.

“Oh, Scorpia.” Somehow, Micah’s voice startled her again. “I’ve been meaning to ask you about your own kingdom.”

“My what now?” Scorpia popped back to standing.

“You’re a princess, you have a kingdom. Kind of a, set thing.”

“Oh,” Scorpia felt herself falter. “I um, don’t. Don’t have a kingdom, that is. I did, well my grandfather did, but it’s gone.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” King Micah looked at a loss.

“It’s okay, my family gave it up to the Horde, and now it’s a mass of metal and waste, and it’s not like I have a people to rule anyways. It’s probably best if I just, y’know, stay in Bright Moon.” Scorpia sank to her knees again, carving a small hole of worry in the dirt with her pincer.

“You are always welcome in Bright Moon. I know my daughter would never turn you away, and neither would I. But Pandinus was a remarkable kingdom, I remember visiting as a kid. It was beautiful, it was a jewel of the landscape.”

Micah knelt beside Scorpia, who stiffened slightly.

“I don’t think I should be the one to rebuild it,” Scorpia whispered, claws tightening in the dirt.

“Why not?”

“My family is the one who surrendered the land to the Horde. If they had just fought them, pushed them back, none of this would have happened. So much would be better, and I have to carry that mistake.”

Her eyes stung, but she squeezed them shut. She would not cry, not in front of the king.

“May I share something with you?”

Scorpia nodded, tears leaking down onto her cheeks despite her efforts.

“I knew your mothers.”

“What?” Scorpia gasped, eyes flying open as she turned to look at Micah.

“They were a part of the Rebellion. Your grandfather was a kind man, but he was a horrible general. The Horde took Pandinus by force. As they took control, he remained, trying to be a good king, keep his people safe by bargaining. Your mothers led an underground resistance from beneath the city, helping sneak rebellion fighters right into the heart of the Horde.”

“My mothers… they fought against the Horde?” Scorpia’s mind reeled. The Horde had told her many things… why had she believed any of them to be true?

“They were the very heart of the resistance. And so were you.”

“Me?”

“You were only little, maybe three or four, toddling around their base. You thought your hugs would heal all the injured rebellion fighters.”

Scorpia laughed and wiped at her eyes. “Sounds like something I’d do.”

“It was my fault you were taken.” Micah’s eyes were dark as tears slipped down his jawline. “I was watching you and Glimmer during an attack. Your mothers and my wife were off fighting, and I was in charge of the defenses. The battle came to us, and… I went to help. I thought I was keeping you both safe. But when the attack was over, you and Glimmer were gone.”

“Glimmer and I were taken together?”

Micah nodded. “The four of us went to rescue you, but it was too late. Your grandfather had given up your mother’s runestone. We were outnumbered and overpowered. Your mothers…” he trailed off. “Only Angella and Glimmer made it out.”

Her vision swam, grief and anger welling up into her head and spilling out. Scorpia let herself fall forward into the flower bush, face pressed into the soft dirt. Sobs raked her body, shaking from her tail to her pincers. Her exoskeleton felt restrictive. She needed air, she needed space, she needed to be held.

“I’m sorry.” Micah’s hand was on her shoulder, grounding her. “I’m so, so sorry.”

The convulsions settled as the sobs faded into silent tears. Scorpia found herself enveloped in Micah’s arms, and buried her head in his shoulder. It was a strange sensation to be held like a child, but there was a distant, familiar longing in it to. She held the king tightly, letting the tears soak into his robe. She felt him crying into her hair, his own body shaking in time with hers.

They stayed like that until the tears, the heavy breathing, and the stinging ache faded into a dull numbness. A release.

“Um, sorry about that,” Scorpia muttered, pulling away.

“I’m sorry too.” Micah smiled a watery, sad smile.

“Thank you, for telling me, about everything.”

“You deserved to know.”

Scorpia took a deep breath and puffed it out. “I forgive you.”

“What?”

“I forgive you. You were only trying to do what was right.”

Micah bowed his head.

Scorpia stood, not bothering to brush the dirt off this time.

“I should probably head back inside, try and sleep.”

“I should do the same,” Micah said, making no move to stand.

Scorpia turned, feeling wobbly and a little hollow inside.

“Scorpia.”

She paused.

“If you ever need to talk, know I’ll always be here.”

Scorpia looked over her shoulder at Micah, who had finally risen.

“Same here, your majesty.”

“And…” Micah paused, looking doubtful. “I know I’m not your parent, but… I am a parent. And if you ever need any, you know, fatherly advice, don’t mind making me your first port of call.”

“I’ll remember that.” Scorpia smiled, sniffing a little against a fresh threat of tears.


	2. heartache || familiar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scorpia begins the process of reestablishing Pandinus, along with some help from Frosta.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took a hot second to get right, but I hope y'all enjoy it. 
> 
> Big shout out to my girlfriend, again, for beta reading!

_“Again.” Shadow Weaver’s voice rang out across the training room._

_Scorpia looked down at the fallen cadet, clutching her tail between her pincers._

_“But – “_

_“Again!”_

“Scorpia!”

Scorpia whipped around, clutching her tail protectively.

“Oh,” she breathed, “hey Frosta, when’d you get here?”

The twelve year old princess hugged her tightly, and Scorpia lifted her effortlessly onto one shoulder.

“Testing the teleport from the Kingdom of Snows to Bright Moon.”

“They finished it already?”

Frosta shrugged. “Doesn’t take that long I guess.”

“Well I am so glad you’re here.” Frosta continued her path to the meeting room.

“Do you wanna play ice ball?” Frosta asked, wrapping an arm around the top of Scorpia’s head.

“Maybe later, right now I’ve got to talk with the head honchos.”

“Oh! What about? Did Glimmer message you? Are they coming back? Has she dumped Bow?” Frosta was wiggling dangerously.

“No, it’s not about them – why would Glimmer break up with Bow?” Scorpia had to pause for a second to process.

“No reason.” Frosta slumped, and Scorpia had to readjust before continuing.

“But we did get a wave from them. All is fine, everyone’s doing good. They say hi.”

That perked Frosta up a little bit.

“Tell them I say hi back!”

“Will do, Frostbite.”

When the pair entered the meeting room, King Micah was in there looking over a scroll with Spinerella. Netossa, leaning back in her chair, waved at them as they walked in.

“Your majesty,” Scorpia said, placing Frosta down on her rightful chair before bowing.

“Princess Scorpia,” Micah said, nodding respectfully.

Scorpia rose and stood to attention. “Might I have a moment of your three’s time and council?”

“Anytime.” Netossa gave a two fingered salute.

“What do you need?” asked Spinerella.

Micah simply waited, smiling slightly.

“I would like to reestablish the kingdom of Pandinus,” Scorpia said slowly.

“The what?” Netossa asked.

“What was the Fright Zone, until about a month ago.”

Frosta slammed her hands onto the table. “That’s your kingdom?”

Scorpia nodded.

“You have Bright Moon’s blessing and assistance,” Micah said, his smile wide and proud.

“Thank you,” Scorpia said, letting herself relax a little. “I’d like to start right away, but I have no idea how.”

Spinerella sat down and pulled up the holographic map of Etheria. The Fright Zo-Pandinus was like blight on the landscape, and Scorpia had to repress a shudder of embarrassment. Even though she knew plants had taken it over in the defeat of Horde Prime, it was still a sprawling mess of metal and horrible memories.

“I think taking a survey of the damage and area would be best,” Spinerella said, zooming in on the map. “This data is outdated.”

“Yes, of course, I can go right away and get that,” Scorpia said quickly.

“And I’ll come,” Frosta said, slapping the table again.

“Thanks, Frostbite.” Scorpia smiled at her.

“The first course of action after getting data would probably be restoring the native flora, and fauna if we can,” Micah said, pulling up some charts from the map with a wave of his hand. “I’ll ask Perfuma’s advice, and she and a few sorcerers could probably get to work on that as soon as the teleportation project is finished.”

“Yes sir,” Scorpia said, then cleared her throat. “Um, if it’s alright, I thought I would ask those who’ve been uh, displaced by the war, and um, the old Horde soldiers if they would like to build their new lives in Pandinus. And once the, y’know, basic stuff is done I want those who want to live there to have a say in what we do too.”

“You want to put a lot of angry, scared, people, a lot of who were enemies in the war, into one kingdom?” Netossa was raising an eyebrow so high it looked like it wanted to become a part of her hairline.

“Uh, yes, that is about the size of it.”

Micah, Spinerella, and Netossa looked between one another dubiously.

“Look, most of the Horde weren’t bad people. Most of us were stolen as kids and brainwashed into believing Etheria needed us to restore some sort of order. Those left just want to live their lives, and I think being a part of building a new kingdom is the sort of thing they need. Please consider it.”

“Very well,” Micah said. “It will be considered and discussed.”

“Thank you.”

Scorpia took her leave with Frosta at her heels.

“So we’re going to the Fright Zone?” Frosta asked as the door swung shut behind them.

“Just gotta borrow a skiff, then we can head out,” Scorpia said, lifting Frosta back up onto her shoulders.

It was… surreal. That was a good word. Driving the skiff over the whispering woods, towards an overgrown Fright Zone. Definitely not something Scorpia was used to.

“Hey, can I drive?” Frosta asked.

“Um, I dunno Frostbite, have you ever driven a skiff before?” Scorpia raised an eyebrow dubiously.

“Pfft… I’ve done way harder stuff than that.”

“But you haven’t driven a skiff.”

“No. Please, Scorpia? Please?”

Frosta’s eyes were doing the thing. The thing where they got all wide and sparkly, and her lower lip started shaking a bit, and…

“You can steer,” Scorpia said finally, the eyes winning her over.

“Yes!” Frosta screamed, grabbing onto the steering handle.

“But I reserve full authority to take that privilege back!” Scorpia said, voice raised in surprise as she was knocked off her feet by the sudden jerk of the skiff.

“I’ve got this, _mom_.” Frosta drew out the last word in a sarcastic drone.

Even so, Scorpia felt a warm bubble pop in her chest at the word. Mom… she liked that thought.

It took a few minutes for Frosta to get a handle on steering, but soon it leveled out. It wasn’t exactly smooth, but Scorpia wasn’t afraid they were going to plummet to their deaths or crash into anything. At the moment, anyways.

“So, how’s the Kingdom of Snows?”

“Fine, I guess. Boring mostly.”

“Tell me about it,” Scorpia laughed. “Who knew this winning stuff would mean we wouldn’t get to hang out every day.”

“Right!” Frosta threw her hands up, then remembered herself and righted the skiff before anything could go wrong. “I thought we’d get to hang out more, but we’re all doing stupid ruling stuff.”

“Hey now, you’re hanging out with me.”

“Doing stupid ruling stuff.”

“It’s not stupid.”

“It is!”

“Hey,” Scorpia said gently, placing a pincer on Frosta’s shoulder. “What’s up?”

Frosta tightened her grip on the skiff steering handle.

“Frostbite… you know you can talk to me.”

There was a couple moments of silence before Frosta breathed in heavily.

“I don’t want Bow and Glimmer to get married.”

“What now?” Scorpia was taken aback. “No one’s getting married, and some people have only been dating, what, less than a month?”

“But they’re gonna!” Frosta’s voice was shrill and cracking. “Bow and Glimmer have been friends _forever_. They’re gonna be gross and in love, and then they’re gonna get married and have babies and all that stuff and Glimmer’s going to forget me, and it’s all the stupid stupid war’s fault for ending.”

“Hey now, what’s this about? It’s good the war’s over.” Scorpia held onto the steer with her free pincer, just to be safe.

Frosta began to sniffle and collapsed into Scorpia, and began to cry, her small body shaking.

“I wanna marry Glimmer.”

“Oh Frostbite…” Scorpia began to gently take the skiff down towards a clearing in the woods.

Awkwardly, but carefully, Scorpia landed the skiff and turned its engine off. She then bundled Frosta into both arms and held her tightly.

“I know I’m just a kid,” Frosta mumbled between sobs. “But I’ll grow up. I’ll be a grown up. I have a kingdom. Bow doesn’t have a kingdom.”

Scorpia almost said she didn’t think that was something Glimmer cared about, but she kept her mouth shut. Frosta didn’t need to hear that.

“Glimmer’s not going to forget about you,” Scorpia said into the top of Frosta’s hair. “Even if she does marry Bow, you’re still important to her.”

Frosta clutched at Scorpia’s shirt, tears soaking through the fabric.

“I just want her to like me.”

“She does!”

Frosta looked up at Scorpia with puffy, wet eyes. “But not how I like her. You wouldn’t understand.” Her head flopped back onto Scorpia’s chest.

Scorpia took a deep breath.

“Actually, I do.”

“You do?” Frosta’s voice came out muffled from where she was hiding in Scorpia’s chest.

“Yeah. I used to really like Catra. Like really like. I think I was a little in love with her for a bit there. But she didn’t see me the same way.”

Frosta peeked up from shirt land. “But Catra’s mean. She was mean to you.”

“I liked her so much I didn’t notice that part. It took a lot, a _lot_ to get me to realize she was a bad friend, let alone get me to realize she would never like me back. Not how I used to like her. And you know what, Frostbite?”

“What?”

“You helped me. You and Perfuma. You guys were so good at being my friend I forgot all about how I felt about her. I focused on me, and you two, and my feelings went away. And now Catra and I can be actual friends. Real friends. Now that’s she’s not a terrible person and I’m not crushing on her.”

Frosta wiped her nose on her arm and leaned her head on Scorpia’s shoulder. Her eyebrows were furrowed, and tears still leaked slowly from her eyes.

“But Glimmer’s not a terrible person.”

“No, she’s not, but she doesn’t see you that way.”

“I know.”

“So you’ve gotta accept that. Take this time while she’s in space to focus on you, focus on your other friends. Let these feelings ride themselves out, and when she comes back you can work on being her friend for real. Okay?”

Frosta nodded slowly. “Okay.”

“Okay. Do you want me to drive the rest of the way?”

“Yes please.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love frosta and scorpia's dynamic i... just... *hands frosta to scorpia and perfuma* fambly
> 
> anyways, comments are always appreciated!


	3. bloom || change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scorpia visits Plumeria and shares an deep conversation with Perfuma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey y'all, sorry for the delay for chapter three! I hope you enjoy a little bit of slow burn scorfuma. 
> 
> also, follow me on twitter @lessiabbiabian. I post a lot of random things, and if you want disaster lesbian content I provide it.

Scorpia had never been to Plumeria before the war, actually it almost felt strange to think this was the first time she’d ever visited.

“Gosh, Perfuma, your kingdom is just, so lovely. I cannot get over how much… _nature_ is just everywhere,” Scorpia breathed, following Perfuma around the natural gardens near the Heart Blossom.

Perfuma laughed. “Thank you. I’m just happy Etheria has healed so well.”

“Me too.”

“Don’t worry.” Perfuma’s hand found Scorpia’s pincer. “Your kingdom will be just as beautiful as the others one day.”

“You think?” Scorpia asked, her eyes meet Perfuma’s briefly before darting back at the flowers.

“Yes, I do.”

Perfuma folded her hand into the crook of Scorpia’s arm and they continued their walk.

“So, uh, I hope it was okay that I sent you some of the data Frosta and I collected - ”

“Of course! I am, so excited to help out with reintroducing the native flora and fauna to the Fright, erm, what was your kingdom’s name?” Perfuma looked sheepish.

“Pandinus. It’s okay, I’m still getting used to it too.”

“Well, regardless I should stop calling it the Fright Zone, even if I can’t remember it’s proper name.”

“I appreciate that,” Scorpia said, bumping against Perfuma affectionately. “Although I do have one quick question.”

“What’s that?”

“What are flora and fauna?”

Perfuma laughed and bumped into Scorpia in return. “Plants and animals.”

“Oh! Oh, okay that makes sense. I thought it was like, the names of people, or something. Gosh I am, really stupid.”

“You’re not stupid,” Perfuma chided. “It’s just something you didn’t know. Though I do agree that Flora and Fauna would make very good names. Like for twin girls!”

“Thanks, Perfuma.”

“Well, I think I’ve got a plan in place, we’ll have to talk to Mermista about creating like, a river system or streams, get some water back in your kingdom.”

“That sounds perfect, I can send the data over to her?”

“I, um, already sent her a message, I hope that’s okay?”

“No, yes, I mean, uh.” Scorpia took a deep breath. “Yes, that is totally fine, thank you. You’ve probably got a way better handle on explaining your plans to her.”

“I just got really excited about how we’re going to get your kingdom flourishing!” Perfuma spread out her hands and a bunch of low-lying purple flowers bloomed at their feet.

Scorpia rubbed the back of her neck, her cheeks warm. “Oh, gee, y’know it really means a lot to me, you helping with all this.”

“You’re important to me, Scorpia,” Perfuma said, stepping into her space a placing a careful hand on Scorpia’s cheek. “The… what the horde did to you kingdom has filled Etheria with such negative energy for years, and I know it’s filled you too. You and Etheria both deserve happiness and healing.”

Scorpia leaned into Perfuma’s touch and closed her eyes. Words, thoughts, feelings all fuzzed out into just the warmth of the connection.

“I, I don’t know what to say.”

Perfuma’s head found Scorpia’s collar. “You don’t have to say anything.”

Scorpia wrapped her arms around Perfuma, squeezing gently.

_“Squeeze harder. You’re a disgrace to the Horde.”_

_“I’ll hurt her!” Scorpia cried, her pincer only barely holding onto the other cadet._

_“What would your mothers say? Do it!”_

“Scorpia?” Perfuma touched Scorpia’s pincers gently.

She blinked, realizing she’d pushed Perfuma away roughly.

“Sorry, sorry.”

“I’m sorry, I probably was hugging you too long, I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“No! No, no, you didn’t I just… Sometimes I get… I remember things. Not good things.” Scorpia squeezed Perfuma’s hand between her pincers.

“From the Horde?”

“Yeah.”

Perfuma shifted her hands to hold Scorpia’s pincers. Her thumbs moved along the carapace, and Scorpia felt flowers grow into a crown in her hair.

“You’re allowed to feel these things. You’re allowed to feel angry, or sad, or nostalgic. If you ever want, or need to talk, I’m always here to listen. Okay?”

“Okay,” Scorpia said, sniffing a little. “I’m not ready to talk about everything, not right now.”

“That’s okay.”

“It’s just, it’s strange to know things about my family now, after I thought I knew the whole story. And, when Micah told me what really happened, it like, kinda, cracked me open? And all these things, memories, started pouring out.”

“It can happen like that.”

“I just wish I could forget it. I wish I could go back and leave the Horde when I was a kid. Maybe I could have helped the alliance, maybe I could have prevented so much if I had just… known.”

“You couldn’t have known,” Perfuma said, a hand coming up to hold Scorpia’s face. “And besides, maybe you were meant to grow up in the Horde. You were such a force for good. Your influence helped so many people, I’m sure of it.”

Scorpia leaned into Perfuma’s touch before pulling away and sitting down in the grass.

“I hurt people. They, Shadow Weaver, made me hurt people. They wanted me to be this, killing machine. They wanted me to be a weapon.”

“But you don’t have to be. And you weren’t.”

Perfuma sat down just within Scorpia’s line of sight.

“It just hurts. It just hurts knowing the life I could have had, the friends I could have had, if I hadn’t. It’s hard.”

“You’re here now. You get to have friends, and a life now. I know it’s not the same, and I know I can never understand what you went through, either with the Horde, or when you were chipped. And it probably sounds really hollow to say that I’m so, so sorry. But I am. I wish I could go back and change everything for you, but I can’t. None of us can. But I’m very glad you’re here now. I’m very glad you’re you.” Perfuma smiled. “I quite like the Scorpia who grew up in the Horde. That Scorpia is important to me. You’re important to me.”

Scorpia looked at Perfuma and felt tears well in her eyes.

“You really mean that, huh?”

“I do.”

“You’re gonna make me cry,” Scorpia sniffed, doing just that.

Perfuma waved her hand, and a large, soft looking leaf appeared. She dabbed at Scorpia’s tears, then handed it to her. Scorpia took it and blew her nose loudly and wetly.

“Sorry, that was kinda gross.” She folded up the leaf sheepishly.

“Happens to all of us.”

“How can you be so gentle and kind all the time?” Scorpia asked, poking holes in the folded leaf with the tip of her pincer. “Like, I know I’m pretty cheerful and friendly most days, but you’ve got like a whole new level going on.”

Perfuma shrugged. “Practice, experience. A lot of people weren’t kind to me when I was growing up. I don’t think they really meant it, but people are mean when they’re afraid.”

“People were afraid of you? How could someone be afraid of you?”

“People are afraid of things they don’t understand. I was born Prince of Plumeria, and when I made it clear I was princess, people didn’t seem to understand.” Perfuma stared at the grass, her eyes growing dull and reminiscent. “I mean, my parents got it, helped me pick out a new name and everything, and there were people who did understand right away. But a lot of people didn’t. It took a long time for most of the kingdom to really, truly see me as who I am.” Perfuma sighed and looked back up at Scorpia. “But my position and journey have made it easier for other people in the same situation. And as hard as it was, I wouldn’t change it.”

“I can’t imagine anyone seeing you as anyone other than the strong, kind, and beautiful princess you are. Even if for a while you were dressed as a boy.” Scorpia laughed lightly.

“I looked very dashing with short hair,” Perfuma admitted.

“I like your long hair, but I’m sure you would look beautiful with a short cut if you ever wanted to cut it.” Scorpia scooched closer to trace a lock of hair with her pincer.

“Thank you, but I don’t think I’d look right without my long curls,” Perfuma said, blushing. “I can’t imagine you without short hair.”

Scorpia rubbed the back of her neck. “That was something that existed. I shudder to think, but there was a time I had enough hair to put it in a ponytail.”

“No, no that’s wrong.”

“There are pictures, somewhere.”

“Oh I have to see these, oh it’s so weird to think about.”

Scorpia laughed. “Okay, okay, if I can find them, I’ll show you if you show me pictures of you with short hair.”

“Deal.”

They shook on it.


	4. power || presence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday to Scorpia bc it's July 5th where I am right now! 
> 
> This chapter is pretty short, but that's how it needed to be. Hopefully next chapter will be longer.

_“You are nothing but a weapon.”_

_“Let yourself become pure.”_

_“Just stop trying.”_

_“No one wants to be your friend.”_

_“Useless.”_

_“Failure.”_

Scorpia sat cross legged in the empty meeting room. It was dark and cool, and blissfully silent and safe. Safe from her thoughts, and the twisted memories she’d woken up from. She tapped through the plans on her pad. She’d met with Spinerella and Micah to discuss plans and infrastructure for her kingdom. Casta was also there and had helpful detailed a preliminary plan for clearing most of the debris and salvaging a lot of the metal and structure for use in the rebuilding. Perfuma had sent over her and Mermista’s plan for reestablishing the natural environment, which would-be set-in motion once the initial clearing had been done.

“I contacted Glimmer,” King Micah had said. “And she agrees with you. You may offer a home to those displaced by the war, and those who used to be members of the horde.”

Scorpia tapped into the drawings Entrapta had sent over. A rough sketch of a city. A capital. She continued to flick through the images. A smile crossed her face as she saw that almost all of her friends had sent in concepts for Pandinus’s capital.

_Shadow Weaver tossed Scorpia into the Black Garnet Chamber._

_“Look at you, pathetic. Weak, just as your parents feared.”_

_Scorpia crawled towards the garnet._

_“What kind of princess can’t even use her powers? Pathetic.”_

_She placed her pincers at the base of the stone. A jolt of electricity shot through her, scorching her. Shadows drew her up, holding her in the air. The electricity increased, trapped beneath her carapace. Slowly, she was rotated, face to face with Shadow Weaver._

_“Look at the power you could have.”_

Something pressed into her shoulder.

“Huh, wha?” Scorpia looked up, bleary eyed as she unstuck her cheek from her pad.

Frosta’s large, worried eyes blinked back at her.

“I went looking for you, and you weren’t in your room,” Frosta said.

Scorpia rubbed the sticky, sweating grooves the pad had left on her cheek.

“I uh, couldn’t sleep. I guess I fell asleep, though.”

Frosta looked incredibly sleepy, and yawned almost as soon as Scorpia noticed this.

“Hey what, what time is it? Shouldn’t you be sleeping in your own kingdom?” Scorpia took Frosta’s hand that wasn’t rubbing at her puffy looking eyes.

The young princess was dressed in light blue pajamas with snowflakes on them, and puffy penguin slippers. It was definitely not daytime.

“Early.” Frosta yawned again.

“Why are you up, Frostbite?”

Frosta was silent for a moment.

“Nightmares.”

There were moments, Scorpia thought, where your whole view of someone shifts. Looking at Frosta now, it was like she could see a small child trapped inside the stubborn teenager. Sometimes, with all of Frosta’s aggression and snark, her wit and intelligence, it was hard to remember how young she was and how long she’d had to be a grown up.

Scorpia opened up her arms and Frosta climbed into her lap, resting her head on her collar bone. For a long while they were just still. Breath and silence billowed around them in the morning calm. Above, through the skylights, that pinkish light that arrives just before dawn was bathing the room. It was going to be a beautiful day. 

A moment or an eternity later, Frosta stirred in her arms.

“I had a nightmare about Horde Prime,” she mumbled into Scorpia’s collar.

“Yeah?”

Frosta’s hands tightened, her grip stinging where she gripped Scorpia’s skin.

“It all happened differently.”

Scorpia squeezed her tighter, ignoring the pain.

“I just wanted to know you were okay.”

“I’m okay,” Scorpia whispered. “I’m okay, we’re all okay.”

“Can you come home with me?” Frosta mumbled.

“You betcha, Frostbite.”


	5. wasteland || flood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pandinus has finally been cleared of debris, which means new growth is just over the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, I'm sorry for the bit of the hiatus, real life decided it was time to step in for a bit. Anyways, don't worry I haven't forgotten this fic, just sometimes I've got to be an adult.

It took all of two weeks to get the Horde debris out of Pandinus. Scorpia oversaw it most days, and often Frosta or Perfuma joined her. There was very little Scorpia could do to help the sorcerers who were clearing the rubble except tell them what she could remember of the layout. It was frustrating, but it was her duty to see the whole process through. Even if there was nothing she could do to further it.

She had, however, spoken to the refugees. That had gone… well. Yeah, well was about how it had gone.

Okay, well is hadn’t gone _well_ well at first. She’d had Micah assemble everyone to the throne room, and she’d gotten in front of them all and, and, uh… She’d panicked, frankly. She’d stammered about Pandinus, the Horde, and began at least twenty sentences that went into nothing. Definitely not her finest moment.

Thankfully, Lonnie had had the wherewithal to jump up and say a few words about the Fright Zone, and making it a home, and there had been murmurs of agreement. And then Kyle had gone and said some really nice things about Scorpia, and Rogelio had roared what sounded like positive affirmation – Scorpia was never really clear on anything that boy said – and, to her great surprise, the whole affair ended in cheering.

So, she had a kingdom.

Scorpia stood at the edge of the newly cleared Pandinus, watching the last of the debris float over the horizon, towards where the sorcerers were repurposing the rest.

Perfuma squeezed her pincer.

The firm, soft touch brought Scorpia back to the world immediately at her feet. Wow, it was a mess. The Horde had really done a number on the landscape. Everything in sight was dead, dying, or destroyed. Even the early afternoon light couldn’t bring beauty to the wasteland that was Scorpia’s kingdom.

“It won’t always be this way,” Perfuma whispered.

“I thought - I didn’t think it was this bad.”

“We can fix this. Mermista is flooding it today, and tomorrow we’ll work together to restore the land.” Perfuma’s eyes were bright.

Scorpia smiled weakly.

“You always sound so certain of everything.”

“The universe provides,” Perfuma said. “You’ve just got to be firm about what you want so she knows what to bring you.”

“Well, ask her for some peace and happiness for my new subjects, if you have the opportunity.”

Perfuma laughed, wrapping her arms around one of Scorpia’s. “I will.”

The sorcerers and the last of the Fright Zone disappeared from sight.

“What was here before?” Scorpia asked, her voice barely more than a breath.

“I never saw it myself,” Perfuma said, her head falling against Scorpia’s shoulder. “But I’ve seen records, I’ve read accounts. My mom and dad talked about what it used to be sometimes.”

“And?”

There was that feeling again. The feeling of her veins falling in slow motion out of her body, and a rushing noise cascading upwards to fill her ears, her eyes, her mouth. A stilling and a racing of her heart all at once. Apprehension.

“It was beautiful. There were so many trees, so green, and lush. There was a river that cut through it, and through Plumeria too. And that mountain area? There – that’s where the heart of Pandinus was. It was like a cradle of life. There was this deep valley that ran up to it, with these gorgeous flowers my mom loved, that couldn’t be found anywhere else. I just hope I can do it justice. I hope I can help everything return.”

Perfuma’s grip tightened. Scorpia wrapped her free arm around Perfuma, turning their mutual lean into a tight hug, burying her face in Perfuma’s soft hair. The salty smell of the tears welling up in her eyes mixed with the sweet earthy smell that always clung to her friend.

“If anyone can restore this land, it’s you.”

“I’m not that strong.” Perfuma’s voice was muffled against Scorpia’s chest.

“You’re the strongest person I know.”

Perfuma’s hold on her tightened, and then relaxed. Scorpia could feel her breathing slow against her, and she smiled into Perfuma’s scalp even as tears finally found their way out.

_“Soldiers do not cry Cadet Scorpia.”_

_Shadow Weaver had stopped directly in front of her._

_“I’m sorry, Shadow Weaver, it’s just-”_

_“Silence. Next time I look at you I expect those to be gone.”_

“Are you okay, Scorpia?”

Perfuma had pulled away slightly and was now looking at her with concern.

“Hu-wha?”

“You got all stiff. Are you okay?”

“Oh. Yeah, yeah I’m fine.”

Perfuma’s hand came to rest against her cheek. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I just, uh, I had a weird memory. It’s nothing, don’t worry.”

Perfuma’s lips pursed, and Scorpia felt the telltale sensation of vines growing around her tail.

“Anything that makes you freeze like that isn’t fine.”

“I’m okay, it’s okay.”

“It’s okay to not be okay. You don’t have to be okay all the time.”

Perfuma’s eyes were gentle, but deep beneath there was a layer of something else. Something like hurt, or fear.

Scorpia took Perfuma’s shoulders carefully between her pincers.

“I will be okay. Memories can’t hurt me, not forever.”

This seemed to calm Perfuma, at least slightly. She took one of Scorpia’s pincers between her hands and pressed a kiss to the carapace, which sent a tingle of sensation all the way up to Scorpia’s cheeks and set her body vibrating. Wait no, the ground was vibrating, not her body. She shifted her gaze beyond Perfuma to see a rushing wave of water barreling towards the wasteland of Pandinus, with Mermista riding it.

“Mermista!” Perfuma called out, breaking away from Scorpia to wave frantically at the other princess. Scorpia settled for lifting up a claw in greeting.

Mermista gave small motion of greeting before focusing back in on the wave of freshwater she was riding.

“You two should probably clear out,” she drawled loudly, the water beginning to flood ground before them.

“We probably should,” Perfuma agreed, turning back to Scorpia.

“Yep, yep, um, how can we do that quickly.”

Almost as soon as the words escaped her mouth vines broke through the ground beneath their feet and wrapped around the feet, legs and waist and began carrying them above the water that was now rushing through where they had just been standing.

“Good timing!” Scorpia said, her voice far higher than she’d intended.

“Thanks!” Perfuma said, grinning broadly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so quick poll in the comments: in the event of smut, would people rather I post it in a separate but linked fic, or leave it in here and up the fic's rating?

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to my wonderful girlfriend for beta reading this!
> 
> feel free to comment below your thoughts, reactions, and feedback!


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